Right-what planet are you living on?
The FIA GT and Sportscar Series are drawing more cars than the ALMS.
Panoz saving LeMans? To some degree, I guess that is true as he has given them millions. However,if Panoz had not been around-- maybe the ACO would have gotten back together with the FIA by now and come up with common GT and LMP rules as well as a new World Championship for GTs and sports prototypes.
Take note- most of the field at LeMans are NOT regular LM Series teams. They come from the FIA GT and Sportscar Series, or they are LM one offs.
The current sportscar rules for FIA and the ACO are pretty close at this point. They could be identical soon, given that the FIA and ACO are meeting to discuss such things while at LeMans.
Panoz events have, for the most part, been a failure in terms of entries and crowds. He has spent quite a bit of money and achieved little. Petite LM is a marginal success,and Sebring continues to draw good crowds, despite the thin grid this year. On the whole it has not been a very good showing. Too bad for him and the sport.
Maybe it is the LeMans Series that should go away?
Kurt Maxwell
MaxSport-Motorsports Marketing
Indianapolis,IN.
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